Fire-extinguishing installation.



J. SHEPPARD & B. GHATTBRTON.

m. L.'SHEPPARD, nxsommx or (I. SHEPPARD, nno'n.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING INSTALLATION.

. APPLIOATIQN FILED DEG. 7, 1908. 920,885.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT entire.

MARIE LUDOVIOA SHEPPARD, or ISLINGTON, nxEcUTRIx OFJAMES SHEPPARD, nEoEAsED, AND BERTRAM OHAITERTON, or LONDON, ENGLAND; SAID MARIE LUDOVIOA SHEPPARD, EXECUTRIX, ASSIGNOR TO SAID OHATTERTON.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING INSTALLATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application filed'Deceinb'er 7-, 1908. Serial No. 466,387. 1

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that J AMns SHEPPARD, late a subject of the King of Great Britain, and formerly residing at Trayshill, I-Iornsey Lane,

Islington, in the county of Middlesex, England, deceased, and BERTRAM OHATTERTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 10 Mundania road, Honor Oak, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishing Installations, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire extinguishin apparatus of the kind in which compresse air is used for discharging water or other liquid for the purpose of extinguishing a fire.

Hitherto it has been proposed to use a vessel stored with compressed airpand to utilize the same to discharge the contents of one or more water tanks not normally under pressure into a system of pipes laid about a building having convenient orifices or hydrantcocks .to which the ordinary hosing pro vided with a nozzle may be connected; or the separate air vessel has been dispensed with and the water tank used to contain both the water and compressed air. In known apparatus of this kind the following disadvantages are present :(a) When a fire occurs, two cocks have to be turned on, the air cock and the hydrant cock. (b) The compressed air has to force the water under from the tank to the hydrant whic on account of fluid friction especially in the bends involves the use of large water pipes in the fixed or permanent installation, and results in a costlyand unsightly installation. (0) There is danger of frost. breaking the pipes when full of water.

According to the present invention a number of closed tanks or vessels, filled with water, are arranged in positions suitable for the command of property to be protected, for example, on the several floors, or in different:

parts of a'building, and each tank is provided with a discharge pipe that starts from near the bottom of the tank and rises above the level of the water in the tank whereby a valve for retaining the water in the tank is rendered unnecessary. The wateris discharged when required by air supplied under pressure from a suitable reservoir.

ressu're --This improved system of fire extinguishing appliance, avoids the objections above set forth, and is adapted to secure at any -1n oment an instant discharge from any level of a stream of water at full pressure. In this arrangement all the fluid conduits stand charged with air only, and the danger of water freezing in the pipes is eliminated. Moreover, comparatively small pipes suifice to convey the air to the water tanks, and bends in these pipes do not prove objectionable. The water tanks or vessels are only of suflicient capacity to extinguish fire at the outset, and take the place of pails, hand pumps, chemical fire extincteurs and the like. The improved system moreover provides for the almost instant application of water to a fire by opening only one air cock, there being no water cock as in previous proposed systems. The whole system when not in use lies in a state of readiness, and is proof against many of the accidents liable to occur in other systems where water is discharged by the agency of compressed air.

Referring to the annexed drawing which shows diagrammatically the essential parts of an installation of fire appliances for a building or the like arranged according to the present invention, a, a are closed water tanks or vessels placed at selected points where fires are most likely to break out. Each tank a is provided with a single discharge pipe 7) starting from near the bottom of the water tank and rising above the level of the water in the tank. In the preferred con- ,struction the pipe 1) passes out through the top of the tank as shown. The outer end of each pipe I) is adapted to be fitted with. a length of hose terminating in a suitable discharge nozzle (not shown in the drawing) as will be readily understood.-

[eis a vessel containingair under pressure. Said vessel communicates with the water tanks a by tubes f. Adjacent to each water tank is a stop valve (1 which is normally closed so that the tanks a are not normally under pressure, but immediately one of the valves (1 is opened the ail; under pressure can enter the corresponding tank and discharge the liquid throu 11 the outlet pipe I). The air vessel c may be situatedeither above or below the level of the tanks a. The air is is kept normally open.

The above described arrangement of apparatus permits the withdrawal of liquid only by admitting air to one or other 01' the tanks at on opening the corresponding valve (1, and it is not necessary to provide the outlet pipe I) with a stop valve. Should any water be withdrawn from any of the tanks the effect will be denoted by a reduction of pressure indicated on the pressure gage. A

check is thus placed upon the unauthorized 1 withdrawal of water from the tanks a.

'It is obvious that a gas other than air may be used in the pressure vessel 6, and also that chemically treated water or other liquid may be used in the tanks on in lieu of pure water.

hat is claimed is:

In a fire extinguishing installation, a plurality of water tanks, a compressed air vessel, tubes connecting the said compressed air vessel to the tanks, stop valves in said tubes, respectively controlling the supply of compressed air separately to each tank, and valveless discharge pipes respectively leading from near the bottom of each tank and rising above the level of the Water therein.

lllAlill'l LUDOYICA SHEPPARD, Eztccutrix of the late James Sheppard.

Witnesses HERBERT A. BEns'roN, JOHN HENRY BEHAN, DONALD I-IARmsoN. 

